Art of preserving apples



Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

CHARLES BROOKS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

DEDICATED, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

ART OF PRESERVING APPLES.

Io Drawing.

- Application filed June 19, 1922. Serial No. 569,883.

(man man THE ACT or minor: 3, 1883, 22 su'r. r.., 625.

Toallwiw'm z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BROOKS, a

. citizen of the United States of America,- and an employee of the Department of Agricul- 6 ture, residing in Washington, D. C. w'ose post-ofiice address is Department oi griculture, Washington, D. C., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Preserving Apples, of which the fol- 10 lowing is a specification.

' This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat, 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its ofiicers or employees in the prosecution of work for the overnment and also by any person in the nited States without payment tome of any royalty thereon. a

I have found that the storage disease known as apple scald can be prevented both during storage and after the removal of the apples from storage by brushing or rubbing the apples as they come from the packing table with a mixture of mineral oil, parafiin and beeswax. The mineral oil is the most active ingredient in scald prevention due to its odor and gas absorbing properties but when used alone on the apples it is liable to injure the skin and certain to give the apple an oily, dull and unattractive appearance. Mixing the oil with beeswax and paraflin in the proper proportions results in a soft creamy wax that will prevent scald,= doesnot injure the apple skin and has a consistency' so much like that of the natural apple wax that its application to the apple does not detract from the appearance of the fruit. The proper mixture for the best results seems to be 40 per cent of oil 55 per cent of 40 paraffin and 5 per cent of beeswax, but slight modifications of proportions maybe advantageous under special climatic and packing house conditions. I

The wax is prepared by heating the above *mixture till' the ara'lfin and beeswax are melted, then pouring the liquid into moulds to harden.

The'wax is applied to the fruit by allow ing the bars of wax to slide against. the polishing brushes by their own weight; the revolving brushes gradually wearin the cake down and in turudepositing a thin coat of wax on,the apples; Hand applications of the wax can also be made by means of cloth gloves or strips of cloth, the heat of the hand tending to soften the wax and contributing to the ease of application.

I claim:

A. method of treating apples to prevent '6 apple scald which consists in applying a thin coating of a mineral oil, beeswax, paraffin mixture to the apples.

CHARLES BROOKS.

Witnesses:

J. B. HOUGAN, A. J. DECKER. 

